Preview

Coco Chanel

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
384 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel

1883-1971 * Born in Saumur, France * Was raised in an orphanage where she learned how to sew * During her brief career as a singer she performed at clubs where she was nicknamed “Coco” * Around the age of 20 she became involved with Etienne Balsan who helped her start he business in Paris * 1910 opened her first shop selling hats * She later added stores in Deauville and Biarritz and began making clothes. * Her first taste of clothing success came from a dress she fashioned out of an old jersey fabric * First fashion house was opened in 1915 * 1920 launched her first perfume named Chanel No. 5 * 1925 introduced her legendary suit with collarless jacket * World War II caused Chanel to close her business

Signature Looks: Jersey Dress Little Black Dress 1. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1973.297.2a,b

2. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1984.28a-c

3. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pzuv7AeXPSY/UBgDFuMKZSI/AAAAAAAAAzw/SNSWtx4UWnQ/s1600/chanel.jpg

4. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1973.297.2a,b

5. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1984.28a-c

6. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pzuv7AeXPSY/UBgDFuMKZSI/AAAAAAAAAzw/SNSWtx4UWnQ/s1600/chanel.jpg

Chanel Suit

Vocabulary:
Jersey Fabric Little Black Dress
Chanel Suit Costume Jewelry
Chanel No. 5
Analysis:
Gabrielle 'Coco ' Chanel rose to become one of the premier fashion designers in Paris, France of her time. She is known for replacing the corset with confortable elegant clothes, such as simple suits, dresses, women 's trousers, costume jewelry, perfume, and textiles. With World War II and the 19th Amendment passed, women had more independence and expressed it through Chanel’s clothing. Chanel herself dressed in mannish clothes, and adapted more comfortable fashions, which other women found so liberating. When fashion was changing



Cited: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/chanelcoco/a/coco_chanel.htm http://www.biography.com/people/coco-chanel-9244165 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Chanel

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Elsa Schiaparelli

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Schiaparelli’s marriage failed and decided to go to Paris with Gaby Picabia and Man Ray. While she was in Paris, Paul Poriet encouraged her to start designing clothes. 1927 was the start of Schiaparelli’s career, she started her own business called…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though flapper aspects have changed women forever since this time period and the image of flappers began in the United States’ Hollywood, many fashion gurus changed the look of women as well. This change specifically took place in Paris because of Bow’s influence through her acting. The Parisian haute couture from 1919 to 1929 completely changed the way women dressed and the overall fashion boundaries between the sexes. A French stylist named Paul Poiret “‘declared war’ on the corset” and he showed a “powerful reminder that in the world of fashion, no bigger design revolution has taken place.” This fashion up rise can be seen on all of Bow’s magazine covers. On the cover of one of Screenland’s magazines from June of 1929, Clara Bow’s face is depicted with her red short hair and her feminine bow tie. On the cover it even states, “Clara Bow’s bathing suit for the best letter” . All throughout magazines, Bow defines the new revolution of fashion by wearing a feminine bow tie and small bikinis which was very out of the ordinary. Bow’s influence is seen through both advertising and the movie industry by making “The flapper style- both in look and demeanor- reflected the exuberant, fast pace of modern America, with its mass production, mass marketing, and mass consumption.” according to Daniel Delis Hill. Overall these aspects of fashion led to what is…

    • 2006 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Chanel´s youth, she went through hard times. When Coco´s mother died, her father put her in an orphanage. Nuns that took care of her, taught the young girl how to sew. When she had a career as a singer, she gained her nickname ¨coco.¨ ¨Some say that the name comes from one of the songs she used to sing, and Chanel herself said that it was a “shortened version of cocotte, the French word for 'kept woman,'” according to an article in The Atlantic¨(biography.com).…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    webquest

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the 1920s fashion and clothing designers were beginning to rise to the top. Lots of new designers were starting to make their own clothing brand and sell it to people who were interested in their designs. Many of these designers were french and italian, one of the italian designers was Guccio Gucci he was an italian businessman and fashion designer, another one was Coco Chanel she was a French fashion designer and the founder of the Chanel brand. She was the first designer to make loose women’s jersey, which were traditionally used for men’s underwear. In the 1920 era handbags and hats were a very important clothing accessories. they were worn mostly buy rich women. Short skirts and dresses were also made for women to wear, which made shoes a very important part of fashion, the most popular were the ones that strapped the ankles and the top of the foot. Jewelry was a very important accessory, it was worn by women and mostly the rich ones. they wore expensive necklace which were made by pure gold and silver, wore earrings which were also made by pure gold and silver. they also used jewelry in clothing such as shirts and dresses. it was a very fashionable trend in the 1920s.…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Vera Wang

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 to Chinese immigrants, and grew up on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. During her childhood, Vera attended the American School of Ballet and went on later to attend Sarah Lawrence College. Vera was also an avid figure skater that competed in National Chapionships for figure skating, until she graduated. She also was in Sorbonne, Paris briefly, but returned to the United States to earn her degree in Art History. Soon after her graduation Vera began working for Vogue magazine as a Fashion editor and within the year she was promoted to the Senior Fashion Editor and she remained there for 16 years. Seeking a change in her career, she took a job with creative director and design director of accessories for Ralph Lauren, she also got engaged the same year. When she started searching for a wedding dress she was saddened to see that the selection of wedding gowns was scarce for such an important day. So Vera decided to sketch her own gown and took the sketch to a dressmaker and it cost her $10,000. The next year with her father’s help Vera opened her first Bridal Boutique in the Carlyle Hotel called Vera Wang Bridal House, and it was an upscale boutique that catered to the wealthiest clients. Along with this accomplishment came a line of sophisticated Bridal Wear, and Vera also designed a beaded outfit for Nancy Kerrigan. By this time Wang was well on her way to becoming a renowned designer, as she began to get into the couture fashion and her own line called Vera Wang Made to Order. This definitely opened many doors for Vera and soon her collections were being sold at many upscale retail stores. In 2001 Vera wrote her first book titled “Vera Wang on Weddings” and shortly after she launched her first fragrance under Unilever Cosmetics International along with a collection of china. Later on that year, she launched a men’s fragrance. Wang has many accomplishments, as she designed uniforms for the Philadelphia Eagles…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Summary of Main Points: Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel completely revolutionized not only the fashion world, but also contributed greatly to the feminist movement. I’m sure that without her witty persona and respect for the feminine half of the human species, then women would not be where they are…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Flappers In The 1920's

    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Research states, “The slender flat-chested tanned body and face of a fifteen year old became the desired silhouette of the bright young things in the 1920’s. Health and beauty clubs helped women refine their silhouettes whilst getting fitter and healthier” (Flapper Fashion 1920’s 2). The goal was to attain a young boyish and healthy, thin look, which was probably a good thing considering the women exercised and stayed physically fit. Gabrielle Chanel was a fashion designer that reflected the 1920’s flapper style. “The great fashion designer Gabrielle Chanel 1883-1971 self styled herself to be known as Coco Chanel. By 1920 the silhouette of her clothing designs have come to be the epitome of the twenties style. The work of other famous designers beside her seemed old fashioned and outmoded belonging as they did to the pre World War One era” (Flapper Fashion 1920’s 3). This style certainly promoted the flapper look and was a potent key aspect their fashion. According to Chanel unisex styles were now going to be intermixed with the world. “Chanel had introduced the world to the jumper and it was worn by both men and woman. Knitted garments for men really took off in the twenties and women eagerly wore the same knots too. Fair Isle patterns became very popular for both sexes” (Flapper Fashion 1920’s 4). Obviously, the little boy look was in…

    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Julia Child

    • 3250 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Where and how did Julia Child meet her husband? What was he doing at the time?…

    • 3250 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    By merely glimpsing a picture of Coco Chanel, grace, and luxury radiates off her glamorous smile. Her life however, was less glamorous than her smile would have you believe. From being abandoned by her father, to the death of her lover, to the Great Depression and the devastation of World War Two, she pushed through with an air of elegance and determination in her step. Coco Chanel was an icon in fashion, feminism, and charm, and significantly benefitted the world of fashion by breaking domestic precedents through implementing comfortable luxury, relinquishing suppressive fashions, and empowering women to step out of the shadows of men.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Throughout the 1900s, women began to use fashion as a way to express their identities and rights within the evolving society. Different perspectives, beliefs, points of view, innovations, and so much more, all contribute to the way that women today can express themselves and have their own…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Fashion designers experimented with colors, patterns, and fabrics for textures. Evening dresses, coats and jackets were often trimmed with fur. Hemlines rose for most of the decade” (Scott). One of the influential designers of the decade was Hattie Carnegie, known for her “personal taste and fashion sense, [which] influenced the styles worn by countless American women” (Shaw). “She sought to “interpret European style for American consumers” and her style was welcomed as it had “a guarantee of sophistication and propriety” (Shaw). Carnegie had “an approach to fashion that emphasized consummate polish in every outfit” (Shaw). Eventually she “made her name synonymous with American high fashion for almost half a century” (Shaw). “The Carnegie customer, whatever her age, seems to have been neither girlish nor matronly, but possessed of a certain decorousness” portraying the turn in attitude as well as fashion (Shaw). As the event of changing style, different fabrics were introduced changing the shape, feel, and mood of…

    • 1906 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    1930s Women

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The government had the power to ration materials and dictate what companies could make. This narrowed the variety of fashion significantly. People also lacked money due to the Great Depression in the 1930s, so it was difficult to buy fancy clothes. Even though women limited their spending on clothing, fashion was still a prominent aspect of being a woman in the 1940s. During this time, “utility” dresses, plain dresses with natural waistline and an A line skirt, became very popular. Women wore these dresses anywhere: for errands, going to the movies, and other daily activities. The “utility” dress acknowledged that women had more responsibilities and greater importance in society. In fact, women started to have more choices in fashion as seen by the acceptance of slacks on women. Up until the 1940s women were discouraged from wearing pants because it was seen as unfeminine. Because of the rationed materials in the country, corsets for women were discouraged. Not only did women gain freedom in society by wearing pants and no corsets, but they also gained physical freedom. Women were no longer constrained by tight undergarments or by having to be modest and careful with their skirts. However, when the men returned after the war and during the 1950s, women’s fashion changed to a dramatic, feminine…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    paper

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout the history of women’s fashion it is known that each decade creates its own symbolic fashion statement within that time frame. The change in women’s fashion advertising is hard to go un-noticed once looked upon. In the 1940’s women’s fashion seemed to be relatively tolerable and not very difficult to strive for when it came to a women’s perspective. As opposed to today’s fashion advertisement for women; the image that “defines” beauty is what some would describe as unreachable without drastic sacrifice. The women in the image of a 1940s women’s advertisement compared to women in an image of today’s fashion could almost be described as a women that failed to make the cut in strive of todays “beauty”. If you ask me, women’s fashion advertisement has snowballed downhill since the 1940s.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lea Salonga

    • 3015 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Salonga made her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical The King and I by Repertory Philippines. She became the lead star of Annie and joined other productions such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon and The Fantasticks.…

    • 3015 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Monique Lhuilier

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Her father, a French mogul, introduced her to the idea of entrepreneurship. Born and raised in the Philippines, she says much of her fashion sense comes from her Filipino mom, a former model who dressed her four children in matching outfits.…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics